ABC Boss Spills on Last Man Standing, Once Upon a Time & More!

With ABC's Fall 2017 schedule now unveiled, president of the network, Channing Dungey participated in a conference call with reporters and lifted the lid on a lot of information.

In case you've been living under a rock, we at TV Fanatic were shocked when the network renewed The Catch for the second season, so we were not all that surprised when the series was not picked up for a third.

It seems that Dungey felt the series was one that could not be saved, saying that the second season reboot "was too late to get the audience to engage in a meaningful enough way to bring that back for a third season."

The audience slipped over 30 percent in Season 2, and ABC did give it a fair shot by giving it a season to reverse the ratings.

While Quantico was renewed last night for a third season with similar ratings to The Catch, the ABC boss said she "couldn't be more thrilled" to have the show stick around.

"I very much believe in [it] creatively. The frustration for me is that it has struggled more than we would like in the ratings but we have talked with [the producers] on what the plans are for season three, and we feel very optimistic and excited about it. That said, we did opt for a shorter run of episodes so we can see how it performs for us... I absolutely believe that Priyanka Chopra is a huge star."

Keeping a low-rated series around for longer than usual is not uncommon in the TV business, but it sure seems like viewers are rejecting Quantico.

Dungey was also quizzed about Last Man Standing which was canceled after six seasons and was quick to point out that it was not all about ABC not owning the series.

"There are many factors that go into our decision-making process," Channing begun.

"We look at the hole we need to fill in our schedule, we look at ratings, we look at viewer engagement, buzz-wordiness, critical acclaim. Of course, we also look at ownership structure."

"I don't think we're alone in that as far as networks are concerned, but I think if you look across our slate in its entirety, while we have the bulk of our shows from ABC Studios, we have shows - including comedies - from Warner [Bros.], from 20th [Century Fox], across the board. So I wouldn't say that was the full factor in not bringing Last Man Standing back."

Dungey also praised the Tuesday comedy block and Designated Survivor.

"The idea going into the season was that we wanted to have a four stack and I think that we've definitely had success there. I would also put Designated Survivor into that category... I've been incredibly proud of the storytelling."

Finally, Dungey opened up about moving Once Upon a Time to Fridays, while confirming Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. would air on the night when Marvel's Inhumans concludes.

Dungey felt like she wanted to see how Once Upon a Time performed without having to go up against football.

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